Need help authoring a DVD
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Posted on Dec 16, 2003 10:23 pm
Walt
Chief Cook and Bottle Washer
Member Since: May 10, 2002
If I create an MPEG-2 will I have the raw material to author a DVD. I am looking at it in the same fashion as recording to wave file and being able to burn that directly to a CD. Obviously I am not sure that my perception is anywhere near accurate.
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Dec 17, 2003 04:51 am Yes and no. The MPEG2 is the right place to start, and yes burning it is about the same (only it takes longer). Also, a conversion needs to take place, some burning apps do it. This conversion takes the MPEG2 and turns it into a .BOF collection which is a set of about 5 files that is actually the DVD image. If the burning app doesn't do it you need something like neoDVD or a similar app that does the conversion.
Another difference lies in preparing to burn in the burning app itself. DVD standards can use the "menu" thing that one sees when they pop a DVD in to their DVD player to watch a movie. You can build one of those...
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Dec 17, 2003 08:53 am Thank you dB. I actually tried looking for an old post of yours when you authored your first. Obviously couldn't find it. I had Studio 7 which would not burn DVD per my understanding anyway, and I got the upgrade to 8. Havn't loaded it yet, long story, took a header of a ladder and can't move. I read the manual and it would seem it will burn a DVD. I just wanted to check to see if I was understanding things correctly. It looks good so far! I am visiting the girls for Christmas out in Kansas and I would like to come home and make them DVD's of the event.
Thanks again my friend!
Dec 17, 2003 09:02 am Glad to help Walt.
Ah, I have Studio 7 and that is how I edit and MPEG2, I have not gotten the upgrade to 8 yet myself, I plan to next time I need to do any serious video editing...I burned the disc in Nero Express, the app that came with my CD Burner.
The difference I have seen from app to app in regards to DVD creation is how sophisticated their menu creation tool is...and nothing will make a good first impression like the first menu that pops up after putting in the DVD...so I put a lot of weight on that myself.
I am hoping to get time to write a DVD authoring article, but haven't had the luxury yet...
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Dec 17, 2003 10:57 am Well, I guess I am confused. I only remember getting some kind of "you can't get there from here" pop up message that indicated the DVD media was not compatable to the file I was trying to burn on it. I ended up doing a CD that could be viewed on my DVD player on the TV. I was not impressed with the graphics as they showed on the TV. Oh well, I'll play with version 8 when I get it loaded.
Look forward to your article when you have time!
Dec 17, 2003 11:00 am Well, that may have been something to do with not having the MPEG2 codec...I remember that was a problem for me until I installed neoDVD or some other of my DVD software that installed the codec along with it so everything worked out.
I'll be curious to see how v8 works for ya.
And ya, Video CD's kinda sorta suck a little.
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Jan 02, 2004 01:12 pm Ok,
Finally got my first DVD created. Well, kinda, I guess. Here is what I understand:
I used Studio 8 to assemble a series of about 50 digital pictures with studio effect fades between them. Then I imported a music file 44Khz 16bit into the music track. I used Studio 8 to make a DVD compatable MPEG file of the "slide show with music".
This gets a little wierd. I transfered the file to my studio computer via network as that computer has a DVD burner. I have Sonic software (came with burner) on that computer. I imported the mpeg into Sonic and used Sonic to burn the DVD. Sonic created a very simple menu automaticly for me.
Results:
Very good, clear video of the pictures. Little grain, good color balance, etc.
Audio was clear except occasional "clicks or pops or maybe static bursts" which seemed to coinside with the more intricate video fades or transitions.
Obviously, I need to learn more about the menu aspect of DVD burning. I probably need to learn more about other things I have no knowledge of. The most apparent snafu at present are the static bursts. They are subtle but present.
Well that's all I know. Not really enough to ask an intelligent question. Any insite on the sound quality snafu would be greatly appreciated!
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jan 03, 2004 12:22 am Was the audio craking or popping originally? Also, was the audio made up from several bits or differant chunks of audio? Sometimes these programs can cause a bit of disortion as the audio overlaps since they dont do automatic crossfades of the seperate segmants of audio. I know when I lay differant clips into the two programs I use for doing slide shows, they dont automatically do the crossfades and if I forget to do it I will get the occasional pop or click.
I as well am not real familiar with some of these programs either.
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Jan 03, 2004 12:40 am The audio was pretty clean. Just to test the process out I just riped a track off of a Christmas CD for testing and used it. No breaks in the waveform. I did a little more reading and I am wondering if I am just novice to the process. I noticed in Studio8 that you can make a DVD image which includes the menu's, chapters, and such. The text differentiates that from a mpeg2 in subtle lay language. I am going to try again here in a bit making a DVD image with Studio8 and then just burning that image with Nero on the other system and see if that approach works better as opposed to making an mpeg2 in studio8, importing that mpeg2 into Sonic which made the DVD image and burned it. Maybe the snafu was in splitting the core process between Studio8 and Sonic. Never ends does it? By the way, what are you doing up so late?
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jan 03, 2004 01:36 am Ah, you may be right on that Walt. I didnt think about noise being introduced durring conversion from one format to another, the audio would indeed be converting at the same time as the video. Entirely possible then I suppose.
